


5 times Peter didn't know Tony and Steve were a thing, and 1 time he did

by De_Marvel_Bunny



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Hurt Tony, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, I Am Mentally Not Prepared For Avengers 4, I'm Weird Sorry, M/M, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Peter Parker is a Good Bro, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Sick Tony, Sick Tony Stark, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Superfamily (Marvel), Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Daddy Issues, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs Sleep, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, help me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-06-01 20:18:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15151037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/De_Marvel_Bunny/pseuds/De_Marvel_Bunny
Summary: 5 times Peter Parker didn't know Tony and Steve were a thing, and one time he did.Peter spends a lot of time with his idol and favorite super hero, Tony Stark. The accords are long behind them, everyone has made up and Tony and Peter are closer than ever.But Peter is very observant, and he notices the weird interactions between Steve and Peter's mentor. He just wants to figure out; what is it?





	1. Visiting Days

**Author's Note:**

> Oy, thanks for checking this out. This is basically going to be some short stories where Peter notices something different between his mentor and the star-spangled superhero.
> 
> This is my first time doing something like this, and I'm not English, so bear with me here

Peter was practically buzzing with excitement as he shut off his alarm clock and got dressed. This weekend wasn't that much different than other weekends, but weekends were always special for the young Parker.

He got dressed in record-time, running down the stairs to grab his shoes, ending up hopping on one foot, trying to get a shoe on the other, all the while pressing an apple between his teeth.

"Well, someone's excited," May walked in in her pyjamas, a morning gown wrapped around her. When Peter finally managed to put his shoe on, he turned to look at her, smiling past the apple still stuck in his mouth. Nodding eagerly, he put his foot on the side of the table to tie his laces.

"Mhthr sfhark ifs fwiwawy weffing w-" he tried to explain, but was cut off by aunt May, who gave him a stern look.

"No talking with your mouth full, young sir," she said fake-angry, but she couldn't quite help the smile forming around her lips.

Peter put his foot down, took a big bite of the apple and set it apart to tie his other shoe, May patiently waiting for him to finish his bite. When he did, he spoke with such a big grin on his face, May was worried he was going to pull a muscle.

"Mr. Stark is finally letting me work with him in the lab," he said, practically bouncing like a little child.

May raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you two worked there all the time?" She asked while making herself some tea. Peter quickly shook his head, his curls dancing on his forehead.

"No, that's the thing!" He explained excitedly. "He never lets anyone in there apart from doctor Banner, who is still missing, by the way, and so that's, like, a big deal!" He rambled.

No, he wasn't fangirling, what are you talking about?

\--

Before the car even stood still, Peter was already out, running towards the big compound.

Happy sighed, running a hand down his face.

"Those stupid fanboys all the time," he mumbled, before yelling out the window; "Yo Parker, ya left ya bag!"

Peter came to a stop, turned around, ran back to the car, got out his bag, spoke a quick 'thanks Happy', and was gone before the not-so-happy Happy could even shoot him his most annoyed look.

Happy just shook this head, mumbled something under his breath and drove the car around. He had already forgotten about the boy before he had even disappeared out of sight.

Peter bounced up and down excitedly during the whole entire elevator ride.

"Peter, I would suggest you calm down before entering the main area," Peter heard F.R.I.D.A.Y say from her spot inside the walls of the compound. Peter could swear she was resisting a chuckle, if that was even possible. Well, it was Tony Stark, who knew...

Once Peter had calmed himself down enough to properly walk out of the elevator, F.R.I.D.A.Y opened the doors, revealing the big living space of the avengers compound, which was currently occupied by the Black Widow and Hawkeye. Peter merely gave them a small wave as he walked over to the kitchen where he could hear the voice Captain America, so he guessed Mr. Stark was there too.

When the kitchen came into view, he saw the captain leaning against the counter talking to a rather ruffled Tony Stark, who was quickly downing a cup of coffee.

"-just saying, if you keep this up..."

Tony put his cup down on the counter with a little more force than he himself had intended, making Peter stop dead in his tracks. Were they fighting?

But Tony simply shot Cap a flashing smile, patted him on the shoulder and winked.

"Trust me, Cap, I have survived on a lot less hours than this,"

Peter looked at the Captain to see his reaction, surprised to find worry in the soldier's eyes.

"Which isn't healthy, Tony. You need to rest and take care of yourself every once in a while. Take a break,"

But Tony was already shaking his head before his friend had even finished talking.

"Nope," he said, popping the p. "No can do. You see, I have a kid coming over-" he paused for a moment, then pointed to where Peter was glancing around the corner. "I have a kid waiting there and I promised him we'd go in the main lab for once. And when I promise something, I, for one, actually do it. Suck it, Howard."

The last part was mumbled softly, but Steve and Peter both had super hearing, and they easily caught what he'd said.

"Tony," Steve tried, reaching for him but the smaller man stepped away, out of his reach. "Tony, you're not like him. I know what they said put you off, but that's not a reason to hide down in that lab of yours. It's not healthy, Tony,"

Tony shot him a smile that was supposed to be sassy, but with his messed up hair, bags under his eyes and hunched in appearance it didn't really work. His smile fell once he realized it didn't work. Steve shook his head, a sad smile on his face.

"Oh, Tony," he mumbled as he walked over to his friend, giving him no chance to walk away as he put his arm on Tony's back, the other hand cupping the back of the genius's head. Tony could do nothing but let his head drop against Steve's chest, sighing in defeat.

"Really, Capsicle?" He mumbled.

"Yes, really," came the response. Steve ran his fingers through the messed up hair, relishing in the warm feeling of Tony's breath from where his head was leaning against his broad chest.

They stayed like that for a couple minutes, no one saying anything, Peter almost afraid to breathe. Steve wanted to do a victory dance, because Tony was actually relaxed in a hug. After a few more moments, Steve felt Tony move in his arms, so he pulled back, keeping a hand on the billionaire's shoulder.

"You good?" He asked. And even though he was very tired, Tony managed a genuine smile as he looked up in the Captain's blue eyes. He sighed, giving a small nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine,"

Steve smiled back, glad to hear his friend was okay.

"You have curls, now that the gel's out," he noticed. Tony shot him a playful look.

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it, pretty boy." He said, grabbing his newly filled cup of coffee and making his way out of the kitchen.

"I actually kinda like it," Steve tried. Tony just stuck out his tongue as he moved away. Steve just chuckled, accepting defeat.

When Tony turned back towards the door, he saw one awkward teenager, staring at his feet while hopping from foot to foot.

"Oh, hi kid," Tony said casually. "Forgot you were still there. Let's go, shall we?"

He clapped Peter on his shoulder, gave him a playful wink and made his way to the elevator. Immediately, Peter forgot about the fiasco in the kitchen from just moments ago as he followed his mentor and hero to the elevator.

"Bye Mr. Steve!" He yelled towards the only man still in the kitchen before disappearing around the corner. Steve chuckled to himself. Peter and Tony were basically the same, especially if Tony showed his brown curls like that. He shook his head, grabbed his coffee and made his way over to the main area. He sat down next to Natasha, who was still sitting there, Clint opposite of her.

"The boy has no idea, does he?" She asked the super soldier, who shook his head.

"No, I don't think so," he answered truthfully.

"Are you gonna tell him?" Clint asked, joining the conversation.

"Tell him what?" Steve asked in return. "I don't even know what to call... Whatever it is Tony and I have, let alone explaining it to a 15-year-old. No, I think Tony and I have to figure out what we are before letting the kid know,"

Natasha nodded in understanding, but Clint just fell back in his chair with an annoyed groan.

"Why is it always so complicated??" He whined.

"What is?" Steve asked. Of course he knew what the super spy meant, he just wasn't sure he could fully admit it to himself yet. He didn't want to get his hopes up, because he was too afraid of being let down.

Clint let his head fall back and closed his eyes.

"Love,"


	2. Lab Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter finds out what made his mentor so sad earlier, and some more weird interactions between Tony and Steve. What is going on?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe how many people already like this book, I'm blown away! Thanks a lot for everyone reading, keep commenting and thanks for so many kudos already!

Peter and Tony were working alongside each other in Tony's personal lab, and Peter had never been so amazed before. He'd seen some of the labs Mr. Stark had around the compound, and don't get me wrong, they were amazing. But, nothing quite like this. It was bigger, better. It had all they needed and more, three robots were rolling around, and surprisingly good music was blaring from the hundreds of speakers in the large room.

Peter was so amazed by everything he saw and all that Tony told him, he'd completely forgotten about what had happened before. It wasn't until he looked up to ask for something that he noticed how tired Tony really was. He was leaning on the table, a half-finished project lying forgotten in front of him. One hand was rubbing at his eyes while the other was gripping the table so hard his knuckles were white.

"Mr. Stark?" Peter asked softly. "Are you okay?"

Tony dropped his hand, sighing deeply before straightening up and giving Peter a smile that was so fake, Peter only grew more worried.

"Fine, kid," he said. Peter crossed his arms, giving his mentor an unbelieving look. Tony couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, but it quickly faded again and he ran a hand down his face. "We should, ehm, you know, just get going with eh-"

"No," Peter interrupted, causing Tony to look up.

"Excuse me?"

"No," Peter simply repeated, and before the mechanic could reply again, he added; "You're not okay,"

Tony sighed, running a hand through his messy hair before leaning back on the table. Peter carefully came closer, only to stop after a few steps. He had no idea what to do.

"Um, do I, eh, need to call for someone?" He asked carefully. Tony just shook his head, straightening up again and scratching the back of his head. One of the robots, Dum-E, Peter recalled, came rolling towards him with a cup in his claw. Tony looked up at his creation.

"Really?" He said, gesturing with his hands. "How many times do I have to tell you, Dum-E, I don't drink oil," Dum-E made a beeping noise, somehow causing Tony to sigh again.

"No, the coffee machine is over there," he pointed to a corner. Dum-E made another noise before rolling away again. "That's right,"

Peter watched the robot roll away again, wondering how the hell Mr. Stark had understood what the one-armed piece of metal had said.

"I made him," he heard Tony say. His head snapped back to his mentor again, who was simply looking back at him as he leaned on the table, arms crossed.

"Did-did I say that out loud?" Peter asked shocked.

"No, I'm a telepath," Tony answered dryly, his unreadable look never changing. Peter's eyes went wide, causing Tony to roll his own. "Of course not, smartass," Peter chucked nervously in relief. Suddenly, a thought occurred.

"Wait, have I said things out loud before?"

"Yeah, pretty sure you talked about your huge crush in school. What was her name again... MJ?"

Peter went as red as a tomato. He had actually said that out loud. Boy, that was awkward.

"Not-not the point," he said quickly, trying to change the subject. It only caused Tony to shoot him a smirk.

"Oh, but you're not denying it, that's good."

Peter's eyes went wide again, a sick feeling in his stomach.

"Good?" he asked, his voice small.

"Oh yeah," Tony said, leaning over a bit, the smirk never leaving his face. "Very good,"

Peter gulped audibly.

"How so?" He asked, his voice higher than he had intended, the sick feeling in his stomach increasing.

"Negotiation," Tony said, shrugging as he leaned back again.

"What kind of 'negotiation'?" Peter asked, and Tony looked at him with an evil look on his face.

"Blackmail, kid," he said. "Sweet, sweet blackmail,"

"Oh, come on!" Peter exclaimed. "Mr. Stark, that's not fair!"

"It might make you stop calling me 'Mr. Stark'," Tony shrugged. He grunted as he stood up and dragged himself to a chair and dropped down. It immediately made Peter forget about the blackmail and worry replaced the dread in his stomach.

"What was that about?" He asked his mentor, causing the latter to sigh and rub at his eyes again.

"What?"

"You know what," Peter replied instantly. Because of course, he did.

"Nothing, it was just some stupid-ass comment, it shouldn't have affected me that much,"

"What comment?"

"Noth-"

"What. Comment?"

Tony looked up. He'd never heard Peter talk that way.

"Wow, impressive," he mumbled.

"Thanks, learned from the best," Peter shrugged. For some reason, that only made Tony's shoulders slump more. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" He asked, immediately worried.

"No, no it's just-" Tony sighed again, leaning back in his chair. "It was about Howard. The comment? It was about him, wasn't really something I like to hear."

Peter felt a bit of guilt building up inside. He had a hunch what it was about.

"What-what was it exactly?" He asked carefully. Tony was too tired to argue.

"It was right after I had brought you home. Clint commented on how much you apparently look like me. Wanda, she- well let's just say she was in a bad mood."

"What did she say?"

Tony looked up at him, their brown eyes connecting. Peter suddenly noticed that they indeed looked a lot alike, and not only because of their mutual love for science. It was extra clear with their now matching curls, brown eyes connecting.

"She- um, she said I'm- I'm practically- um, 'raising' you, how I'm becoming, eh, my... dad," Tony said, looking down at his fiddling hands in his lap. Peter was taken back for a moment. His mentor never stuttered. Tony Stark was never nervous. And the way he'd said 'dad' told Peter enough about their real relationship.

"What?" He couldn't help but ask. Tony still didn't look up, rubbing at his face as he wracked his brain to a way to avoid this conversation.

"Did I speak Spanish?" He retorted, but it didn't come out quite the way he'd wished. "Look, I told you it was stupid, I'm just overreacting."

"No, no not at all!" Peter quickly interrupted. "I get it, really I do. Daddy issues-"

"Who told you?" Tony cut it, looking up again, his strict face back on. Peter began to get nervous under the heavy gaze of his mentor. He knew he'd said too much, but he couldn't take it back now.

"Um, Cap-Steve, Steve told me..." he whispered, looking anywhere but his mentor's eyes. Said mentor fell back in his chair with an exaggerated sigh.

"Of course, he did," he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in, well, basically just _dramaticness_. "And he's, of course, the one you called a few minutes back,"

Peter froze.

"What?" He squeaked. He closed his eyes, giving himself a mental face-palm and cursing his voice in the foulest language he could conjure up in his pure mind. "I didn't call anyone, what-"

"Of course you didn't," Tony interrupted. "You ordered FRIDAY to do it,"

Peter stared back into those brown eyes with a look that screamed 'busted'. Tony sighed but couldn't help but chuckle a bit. He really had grown fond of the boy, that was for sure. But just the thought of becoming Howard scared the living crap out of the genius. As if he could sense it, Peter stepped forward, kneeling next to the chair the billionaire was seated in. He placed his soft hand on top of Tony's hardened, scarred ones.

"Mr. Stark," he began with a soft smile on his face. "If you were my dad, I know you'd be the best one I could ever have wished for,"

Tony was shocked, to say the least. He stared back at the teenager, searching for any insincerity but found none. He opened his mouth to stammer out some kind of response when the door flew open.

"Where's the emergency?!" Yelled Steve as he ran into the lab, a fire extinguisher upside-down in his hands. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw two pairs of brown eyes looking at him, both men raising an eyebrow at him.

"Um, oh," was all Steve could say. He carefully set the extinguisher down. Or, tried to, but failed as he still held it upside-down. It fell on the ground with a loud bang, rolling away, out of sight. It was awkwardly silent for a while as the sound of the extinguisher rolling away slowly faded. Tony cleared his throat.

"Um, okay," he started, and only years and years of perfection and practice kept him from breaking out laughing at the captain's red face. Peter, unfortunately, hadn't had that amount of practice yet, causing him to double over in laughter.

"Don't forget to breathe, kid," Tony said with a completely straight face, which only made Peter laugh harder. And, to be fair, Steve's face was hilarious.

"You 'bout done?" The super soldier asked with an annoyed look on his face. But Tony didn't miss the sparkle of amusement in the Captain's blue eyes. Tony couldn't help the smirk forming on his face. But now that the weight had been taken off his shoulders, he realized how tired he really was. Steve must have noticed too as he immediately hurried over to kneel beside him.

"You okay, Tony?" He asked in a gentle voice. Peter noticed and turned the music off, saving his and Tony's work and sitting on the workbench. "And don't say that you're 'fine', because you say that every time,"

To Steve's concern, that barely got a smile out of Tony. Steve then decided that it had been enough.

"Alright, you're coming with me," he said, attempting to lift Tony out of the chair he was seated in. But the genius quickly jumped away from the outstretched arms, standing behind the chair with a speed that would have made Quicksilver proud.

"Na-ah," he said, his hands in front of him in a defensive mode. "Ain't happening, mister,"

Steve sighed. Tony was just so  _stubborn_...

"Alright, then you're walking on your own," he said, crossing his arms. Tony raised an eyebrow.

"Where?"

"Upstairs, genius," Steve replied, attempting to drag him along to the elevator. But Tony jumped back again.

"Again, na-ah," he said, crossing his arms and looking a lot like a stubborn child. Steve rolled his eyes and gave Tony a fake smile, one parents often gave their toddlers whenever their patience was running out.

"And why not, Tony?" He said in a sweet voice, causing Tony to stick out his tongue.

"I got work to do," was all he said before he walked back to his unfinished project. But Steve wasn't giving up so easily today. He quietly snuck up behind the mechanic and wrapped his strong arms around the smaller man's torso, lifting him up far enough for Tony's feet to be off the ground. Tony yelped in surprise, dropping the screwdriver he had been holding.

"Steve, let me down," he said, attempting to break free but failing miserably. Steve brought his face to Tony's neck with a big grin.

"Only if you agree to come with me," he said, but Tony was already shaking his head.

"Steve, I have stuff to do!"

"What stuff?"

"Well, important... Stuff..." Tony replied, groaning at how stupid that sounded. "Just let go, please,"

Instead of letting go, Steve tightened his grip around the small man's frame, making Tony yelp again.

"Steve, let go I can't- I can't breathe..."

Steve quickly loosened his grip again and Tony started coughing, gasping for air dramatically.

"Help, a super soldier is trying to kill me!" He yelled, wriggling in Steve's grip, which accomplished nothing except for Steve tightening his grip again. After a moment, Tony gave in.

"Okay, okay fine!" The mechanic managed to croak out. Immediately, Steve let go completely, causing Tony to stumble against the workbench, breathing heavily.

"So, let's go, shall we?" Steve said, a satisfied smile on his face. Tony turned around just far enough to hit him with a screwdriver, mumbling something no one could understand.

"What was that?" Steve said in the same, motherly voice, just to irritate his friend.

"I hate you," Tony mumbled. The soldier chuckled, walking up to the genius again.

"Yeah, love you too," he said with a smile before gently taking the mechanic's arm and leading him away from the workbench. Tony groaned again, mumbling about how he wasn't the 'old one in the room' but let himself be guided away.

Peter watched them go, frozen in place.  _'yeah, love you too,'_ echoed around in his head. He decided it was just in a friendly matter and he quickly grabbed his backpack and sprinted up the stairs. This was one of the most surprising things he'd seen in his life, and he'd seen aliens attack New York.

When he came up he saw Steve dragging Tony behind him, out of the elevator.

"Sorry, kid," Tony called. "I'm apparently past curfew. Happy's waiting outside to bring you home,"

"Thanks, Mr. Stark!" Peter called back.

"See you tomorrow, kid," was the last Peter heard before his mentor disappeared behind a corner. Peter made a little victory dance at that, skipping towards the elevator to take him downstairs.

"What's all the excitement about?" Happy asked when Peter jumped into the car, bumping his head.

"Mr. Stark said I could come back tomorrow!" The teenager yelled, rubbing his head where he had bumped it against the car.

"Great," Happy mumbled before closing the black-tainted window separating the two compartments. Once it was closed, a small smile appeared on his face. "Oh Tony," he mumbled softly. "You better hold onto this one,"


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter comes back the next morning to have an awesome day with his favorite genius superhero in the lab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so happy with all the kudos and comments you guys are leaving on this book, it's amazing! Thank you so much, it gives me the motivation to keep going with this story!
> 
> I'm sorry for any errors in grammar in this or the previous chapters, I'm not English... I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

As promised, Peter was allowed to come back the next day. When Peter finally exited the lift, Tony was already waiting for him. He looked a lot better, he was wearing old but cleaner clothes for in the workshop. His hair was back to the neat, gelled style it used to be, although Peter could still see some curls left. He briefly wondered why but decided not to comment on it.

"Ah, Mr. Parker," Tony greeted him with a smile, standing up from the couch he had been seated in.

"Hi, Mr. Stark," Peter said, happy to see his mentor was mostly back to normal. Or, back to the way he was before yesterday. "Are- are you okay?" He couldn't help but ask, just to check up.

"Perfect, thanks," Tony answered with a smile. "Steve, we're downstairs. Don't break another extinguisher if you can, alright?" He told the blonde man who was seated on another couch, dropping the newspaper on his head as he walked past.

"Tony," Steve said in a warning voice. Tony gave Peter a look.

"Let's go," he said before grabbing his shoulders and quickly pushing him towards the stairs. Once downstairs the billionaire closed the doors, clapped in his hands and spread his arms.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" He smiled. "Now, if I remember correctly, we were working on those new web shooters of yours," 

* * *

 

Steve looked up from his paper. It had been a couple hours since the two geniuses had gone down to the lab, it was well past 2.00 PM now, and they hadn't had lunch yet. He was used to dragging Tony up the stairs to remind him to eat, but now that there was a kid involved (one with quite a big appetite) he started to worry.

"FRIDAY, are they still in the lab?" Steve asked, looking up at the ceiling, no matter how many times Tony had told him:  _'the voice in the ceiling is not in the ceiling, Steve!'_

"Yes, sir," the AI answered. Steve nodded, assuming there would be a camera around here somewhere. "Shall I call them for you, sir?" FRIDAY asked. Steve pondered over the question for a while before deciding;

"No, I'll get them myself," and with that, he descended down the stairs to the lab.

Before he entered, Steve decided to see what was happening inside, and what he saw melted his heart.

Peter was standing in the middle of the lab, facing the wall with his back towards Steve and his right arm outstretched. Tony was standing behind him, pointing at something Steve couldn't yet see. He had apparently been talking to Peter because the teenager nodded and Tony stepped away. Peter took a deep breath, followed by a small movement of his outstretched arm and the target that he had apparently been aiming for falling on the ground. Peter and Tony apparently weren't satisfied as they both nodded without saying a word, Peter taking something off his wrist and handing it to Tony who put it on the workbench. They both bent down over it, examining it. They talked softly to each other and both fiddled with it, working perfectly together.

When they were seemingly done, Peter put it back on his wrist with a smooth motion as Tony put the target, which was a simple cup, back on the table. He gave Peter a thumbs up and went to stand behind him. Peter again took a deep breath, again followed by a similar motion and a string shooting from his wrist. Only this time, the cup didn't fall on the ground. This time, it was stuck against the wall by what seemed like a spider web. Steve thought it had looked a lot like a web-grenade, as it wasn't attached to a long string it usually had.

Peter turned around triumphantly towards Tony, who laughed and clapped in his hands before giving the boy a high-five. They both walked over to where the cup was sticking to the wall. Tony gave it a gentle tug, but the glass didn't come off. He pulled a bit harder but it still didn't budge. Apparently, that was what they had been hoping for as they smiled at each other in triumph. Tony clapped the kid on the shoulder, pride in his eyes.

They were about to turn around, so Steve figured this was the best time to announce his presence. He pushed the door open, gaining the attention of the two geniuses.

"Having fun?" He asked, a smile on his lips.

"Aye aye, Captain," Tony said with a smile of his own. But Peter had a big grin on his lips as he was practically bouncing on his spot. Steve couldn't help but chuckle at the kid's antics.

"Good, 'cause I'm about to ruin that," the soldier said, earning a grunt from Tony.

"Every time," the billionaire murmured, taking the web shooter from Peter's wrist and laying it down gently on the workbench. "What is it this time?"

"Food,"

Tony stopped with whatever he had been doing, laying it back down on the workbench as he turned around, seemingly thinking it over.

"Okay. Peter, let's go," he concluded finally, taking the teenager by the shoulders from behind and pushing him past Steve towards the stairs. Peter happily complied, letting himself be pushed forward, talking excitedly about how amazing this day was and all that they had been doing. Over-excited he raced up the stairs, calling for the two men to hurry up.

"Come on, Mr. Stark. I could eat a whole horse!" His voice was heard from up the stairs. Tony chuckled quietly, turning towards Steve and giving him his rare, warm smile.

"Coming, kid," he called before walking over to Steve. "He's going to eat a horse," he sighed, letting his head fall on Steve's warm chest. The soldier chuckled, putting a hand on Tony's back and letting his other one play with the billionaire's hair.

"Better get to him then," he responded. He heard a tired groan from Tony, muffled by Steve's shirt. He pulled his head back, staring into Steve's blue eyes.

"Aye aye, Captain," he whispered before placing a quick, gentle kiss on the soldier's lips. The smaller man gave Steve a mischievous smile before jogging up the stairs, leaving the super soldier with his thoughts and Tony's taste on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this, I have some stories on Wattpad that I am writing with different friends. If you'd like to check them out:
> 
> @MarvelBishes has a Stony one-shot collection (Marvellous One Shots) and a side-fic that I am writing (Avengers High)
> 
> @Starker4Life has a book called 'The End Game', sadly not Stony but mainly SpideyChelle (Peter and Michelle). Pepperony is the ship with Tony, but it's not heavily implied.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I hope to catch you in the next chapter!


	5. The Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Missions apparently don't care about Peter's happy moments, they always happen at the worst times...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter before the big finale! Sorry this took so long, I had been busy binge-watching Doctor Who (wow what a good excuse, Deborah!) (yeah, I know, right!). I'm afraid the next one will come even later, I'm going on vacation to France (maybe even Spain! Whoo, still not outside of Europe, but okay. That day will come c:) so the last chapter will probably come in, I dunno, 4 weeks? Sorry! Enjoy this one!
> 
> Ignore any grammar mistakes, still not originally English! c:

I think we've all had it once. I mean, Peter's life is just so  _relatable_ , right? Don't you just  _hate it_ when you're spending time with your favorite superheroes and the AI in the ceiling (which is  _not_ in the ceiling, by the way) alerts you of a dangerous villain that's attacking the city? Well, that's exactly what happened to Peter.

"Sir, there is an alert of a troublemaker causing trouble in the city," FRIDAY alerted the three people standing in the kitchen. Tony sighed, putting down his coffee.

"Yes, I imagine that's the reason why they call them  _troublemakers_ ," he replied as he slowly sauntered off to get his suit.

"You asked me to alert you, sir. I am alerting you, sir," FRIDAY simply replied with her most emotionless voice, causing Tony to come to a halt, making a face.

"Sassy, much," he mumbled before shaking his head and continue his route through the halls, Steve following closely behind. Peter stayed in the kitchen, trying very hard to be casual and ending up knocking over a coffee cup. "You too, Underage," Tony shouted back to the kitchen. Peter quickly straightened up from his leaning position against the counter, maybe a bit too fast and knocking over the cup again.

"Oh, poopies," he mumbled, attempting to clean up his mess.

"Leave it," Tony's voice shouted from the halls. Peter made a 'sorry' motion towards the spilled coffee before speeding off after his mentor.

* * *

 

 _"Iron Man, you got incoming,"_ Cap's voice sounded over the comms.

 _"Got it,"_ Came Iron Man's reply. Peter shot another web, sticking one of the, to his opinion rather misshaped robots face-first to the wall. He was a bit further away from the main fight, to his protest, of course. Peter did appreciate the concern but come on, Tony wouldn't even let him run with scissors.

"Can I help?" He tried again, knowing the answer before it came.

_"Nope, too dangerous,"_

_"Yeah, I have to agree with the genius on this one,"_ Came Cap's confirmation. Peter sighed. It was just robots, nothing more, right?

 _"Steve,"_ Tony started, and the fact that he hadn't made the obvious sarcastic retort that everyone was expecting immediately put Peter on edge. Apparently, Steve had noticed it too.

_"What's wrong?"_

_"Steve,"_ Iron Man repeated, voice tight.  _"Steve, there's a bomb,"_

Peter wanted to slap himself. It was  _always_ bombs. Every time something went wrong, it was because of bombs. A bitter chuckle filled the comms.

_"It's always bombs, isn't it?"_

Apparently, Tony thought the same.

"Mr. Stark, don't go in!" Peter exclaimed, just barely dodging a random loose robot-arm one of the metal creatures had thrown at him in clear desperation.

 _"You watch your Spider-Ass, Underoos,"_ Tony warned. Peter threw his hands up, muttering something inside his mask.

 _He's definitely watching me,_ the teenager thought.  _It's just getting creepy now._

_"He's right, Tony,"_

Peter tensed, Cap rarely called the billionaire by his first name in battle. It was usually just 'Iron Man'. 

_"Wait for me to get there, we can take it out together-"_

_"No, Steve,"_ Tony interrupted.  _"I can't wait for you to get there, there's people in that building. And seeing as there's no one else here right now, I guess that just leaves me,"_

 _"Tony,"_ Steve tried again.

"Mr. Stark?" Peter asked, voice small. He heard Tony sigh in defeat.

_"Sorry,"_

Steve immediately started yelling through the comms but Peter was frozen. He looked into the distance where he knew his mentor was, currently fighting for his life. He didn't know how much time passed, it all seemed to go so fast, but at the same time, it was as if everything was moving in slow-motion.

 _"Tony, I'm almost there. Just wait for me to get there, I'm close-"_  

The building exploding cut him off. Even from this big of a distance away, Peter could feel the heat wash over him like a sunlight after the rain. A big mushroom-cloud filled the sky, ash and dust raining down. Peter didn't hesitate a second. He fired his new web shooters, slinging away faster than he ever had before.

By the time he arrived at the scene, paramedics were taking care of the injured as firemen tried to put out the fire. The young web-slinger saw the Captain's shield on the ground, its owner already in- no,  _on_ the destroyed building, climbing the big pile of bricks that had once been an actual building. There was barely anything left of it now.

The soldier suddenly sped up, reaching the very top and not hesitating to slide down the other side. Peter took it as a hint that he'd found something,  _someone_ , quickly racing after him. When he reached the top it took everything in him not to fall back down again. On the ground was the armor. Or, rather what was left of it. It was torn to shreds, the helmet was completely gone and the suit was barely wrapping around the arms and legs. The back seemed to still hold, but the front was merely a few strings of armor.

Steve was kneeling beside it, his hands hovering above Tony's lifeless form as if not sure if he could touch him or not. Peter carefully approached, praying to no one in particular as he kneeled down and put a finger against his mentor's neck. He closed his eyes and held his breath as his fingers softly touched Tony's neck. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he felt a gentle thudding against his fingers. He did realize it was too slow.

"He-help!" He yelled, stumbling back up again and yelling at the paramedics he knew were on the other side of the brick hill. "Help me, someone's injured! We need help!"

Steve bent down to gently take Tony's head and place it on his lap. He softly stroked some blood-soaked hair from the billionaire's forehead.

"Please, don't do this to me," he begged, tears forming in his eyes, his voice nothing more than a whisper. "Don't do this, Tony. Open those eyes, please," 

Steve closed his eyes, the feeling of past events replaying in his mind as tears rolled down his cheeks. What if he didn't wake up this time? What if that small pulse just gave out and Tony was-

 _"Steve,"_  

Steve opened his eyes, looking down at Tony in his arms.

 _"Steve,"_ the genius repeated, his voice barely a whisper.  _"Steve,"_

"I'm here," Steve replied with tears in his eyes, laughing in relief as he grabbed his friend's bloody hand. "I'm here,"

This caused Peter to look back, stumbling over to the two as fast as he could. Tony was breathing shallow, uneven and uneasy breaths, but it was an improvement from the lifeless look he'd had before. 

"Mr. Stark?" The young Spiderling asked softly, tears soaking his mask. Tony slowly blinked his eyes open, staring up into the sky with wet, brown eyes. Steve gently shook his shoulder, softly talking to him to gain his attention. It worked as the genius turned his head ever so slightly, his glassy eyes staring up at him.

"You cryin'?" He croaked out. Steve laughed, more out of relief than anything else as tears still made their way down his dirty cheeks. Tony sighed, closing his eyes as a single tear slipped from the corner of his eye.

"Steve, it's- it's cold," he croaked weakly. Steve gently wiped the tear away with his thumb, smiling down at the small-looking figure in his arms.

"I know, paramedics are on their way, alright? Just hold on for me, can you do that?" He tightened his grip on the smaller man as he started coughing, his whole body shaking with the force. "Just hold on, for me? Please?"

Tony nodded weakly, his head rolling against Steve's suit, listening to the strong heartbeat. It was pulling him down and he wanted nothing more than to just drift off. Before he could, however, he was pulled back to reality, the physically painful reality by someone shaking his shoulder.

"Don't fall asleep, please Tony, stay awake. Spider-Man, please guide the paramedics here?"

Peter shot his mentor one last look before shooting off to find his mentor help.

"I'm here, Tony," Steve continued to talk to him to help him stay awake. "I'm right here and I'm not going to leave, alright? I'll stay with you the whole time, I promise. You're getting out of this alive. We all are, got that? All of us," 

* * *

"Steve," Tony whined. "Ste-heve,"

Steve sighed, putting his newspaper aside as he approached his friend in the hospital bed.

"What is it, Tony?" He asked with a smile and patience that even surprised himself. Tony looked at him, brown eyes clearer than they'd been in days.

"I'm bored," he stated simply. To anyone else that would've sounded like a 5-year-old but not to Steve. The soft way in which his teammate spoke was enough to tell that it was really bothering him. "I want to work, I want to _do_ something. Not just lie in bed all day. I'm not _made_ for that, Steve!"

Steve couldn't help the chuckle from escaping. Most people hated working, and Tony did too, only in a different way. He hated business meetings and files and neat desks. He loved to tinker in his lab, creating things he didn't need and no one else had even thought of making.

"Not funny, I think I'm really going to die in here," Tony warned, his voice stern but his face soft. "What's the point of hospitals if they leave you in there until you still die of boredom,"

Steve leaned in until his face was just inches away from Tony's, a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Well, I suppose I'm going to have to give you the 'breath of life', right?"

Tony looked confused for a second until their lips touched, and he didn't hesitate to kiss back. The secret kiss could have lasted for hours, were it not for the fast footsteps in the hall coming towards them. They quickly pulled back, Steve winking to the smaller man once more before his face disappeared behind his newspaper again.

Not long after, Peter rushed into the room. His face was barely holding his huge grin and Tony was worried it would actually split.

"Mr. Stark, you're being released in a couple hours! You can go home again! Isn't that great? I think it's great, don't you? Bye!"

Without waiting for a response the teenager was out the door again, heading off to who-knows-where. Tony mumbled a quick 'finally' towards the ceiling and threw the covers back to sit up straight. Steve was next to him in no time to support him.

"Let's go home," he smiled. Tony pressed a last, quick but soft kiss against his lips.

"Yeah, let's go home,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the amazing feedback, it means so much! Make sure to check out my accounts on Wattpad (MarvelBishes) (Starker4Life) and my Stony one-shots that I have here on ao3 too.
> 
> Sorry again for the late update and the next, I do hope you enjoyed!


	6. Team Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's home and it's time for some team relaxing. Of course, a little spider comes along to join in on the fun. But maybe Peter gets a little more than he was expecting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this is so late! It's been months, I'm so sorry! I couldn't find the right way to write it and didn't have a lot of time, either. Plus, ao3 kept not saving my works (or I forgot to, that could be the case, too) so I had to rewrite a lot of it.
> 
> Luckily it's finally here, and I'm very sad but also excited to announce that this is the final chapter! I've had so much fun writing this and reading everyone's comments. I have a lot of ideas that I'm going to be writing on this account, like a small story I've started on Wattpad. (Sneak peek: It's about a different ending of infinity war, featuring an alternate universe, Peter ending up in a high school with the Avengers and a heckka lot of teenage Stony)
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

"Peter, sweety," May called into the teenager's dark room. "It's time to wake up, honey,"

Peter grunted, pulling the covers over his head.

"5 more minutes..." he mumbled, barely audible. May chuckled, walking into her nephew's room, sitting at his bedside. She gently rubbed his shoulder.

"Mr. Stark called," she said, a slight smile on her face as she knew exactly what was coming. And she wasn't disappointed. Within seconds, Peter was next to his bed, big brown eyes looking right at her, filled with excitement and anxiety.

"He did?" He squeaked. "What did he say?" May chuckled.

"Not much," she shrugged. "Just that he'd like to invite you to the 'Avengers Night', or something,"

Peter's eyes went wide, his mouth even wider.

"What? That's awesome! May, I'm going to have a team night with the Avengers!"

"Happy'll be here in 30 minutes to pick you up,"

"But  _May_!" Peter said slowly with over-dramatic gestures, not understanding how she was so calm about it. "I'm going to a  _team_ _night_ with the supercalifragelisticexpidalivengers!"

May didn't even know how he had come up with that but left the teenager to freak out in peace, walking down the stairs to make them some food before he would be picked up. She was happy with the way things had turned out, she just wished Ben had been here to see it. She wasn't a big fan of Stark at first, interrupting their little lives. It had been hard for her to get around well enough to feed all of them, especially when Ben died. So when Tony Stark had come barging in with all his flair wasn't really what she had been looking for. The only reason she didn't ask him politely to leave, was because he seemed to make Peter happy. And a happy Peter was a happy May.

Of course, there were certain limits to that.

When she had found her nephew in his room, pulling off the mask of the one and only Spider-Man suit, well... To say she was angry would've been an understatement. But more than that, she was scared. Her nephew, her sweet, sweet boy, was running around in the dead of night in New York City, stopping crime and fighting bad guys- it didn't help with the stress. She knew he had been sneaking out, she's not too old to hear Peter bump his head at least ten times every night, and of course, she had imagined what he would be doing in the dark, every idea even crazier than the last. But she hadn't expected her nephew to be an underaged super-spider.

The only thing that had been able to calm her down enough to think straight again, were his abilities. His amazing reflexes, his so-called 'spidey sense', his fast healing- it kept him safe from the worst. Of course, she had been  _furious_ at Tony Stark. It had taken Peter  _weeks_ to prevent her from going over to the compound and talk some serious sense into her. There were two things that had kept her from doing that;

One, Tony Stark had given Peter a proper suit, that, unlike his onesie, was able to protect him. The AI noticed things when Peter didn't and the stronger web shooters were safer for slinging high up than his own home-made ones.

And two, Tony Stark had been in surgery.

When she'd finally gotten hold of Happy, she had yelled the poor man's ear off (she still felt bad for that), and demanded to speak to Stark. When she was finally done screaming, Happy had answered in an emotionless  _"He's in surgery"_ , which had immediately turned on May's maternal instincts. Happy had told him what he knew, and May would never forget looking up when the ex-boxer had finished. She had looked straight into the brown eyes of her boy, which had been glazed over with tears. He had turned around and ran up to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. It had taken two whole hours to before the tears had stopped, and he still hadn't let go of his aunt.

May thought back to just moments ago, to the way the teen's face had lit up like the sun over a simple  _team_ _night_. Sure, Tony had been the cause of tears to her innocent boy, but more important than that, he had made a smile as big as the universe appear on the teen's face, just by saying something as simple as  _"Good job, kid"_. To May, that was worth more than any money that man could give.

Although, money would be nice, too.

"Bye, May!"

Peter's voice shook May out of her thoughts. It took her a few seconds to process what he'd said, but once it did, she stopped the racing boy by the collar.

"Na-ah," she said with a stern look. "Just because you've been sleeping 'till the afternoon, doesn't mean you get to skip breakfast." She told the pouting teenager.

"Aw, but May!" Peter protested, sitting back down at the dining table.

"Nope," his aunt insisted. Peter muttered something under his breath but was smart enough to keep it to himself.

Peter was done within ten minutes, which is an impressive time given the amount of food that kid needs, and soon hugged May goodbye before running out the door. He pulled it closed behind him, it slamming shut with the force. Peter cringed, turning around and placing a soft hand on the wood. 

"Sorry," he whispered before turning around and racing out to where Happy was waiting.

\--

When he entered the main room in his full ADHD, anxiety-fed teenage self, the sight that met him had been the last thing he'd expected.

Only Cap, Nat, Clint, and Tony were in the room. Nat was occupying a whole couch while reading a Russian book. Clint and Cap were on either side of a different couch, Clint reading a book and Cap half asleep on the other side, his head resting on his fist. Tony was in between them, his feet in Clint's lap and his head in Steve's. The Captain was running his fingers lazily through the drug-fed billionaire's brown curls.

The genius himself was fast asleep, a book laying open on his chest, one hand resting on top and the other dangling off the couch. His breathing was soft and he looked so peaceful... Peter had never seen him this relaxed.

Natasha was the first to notice him, smiling as she met his eyes. Her eyes darted towards the three on the couch, her smile soft. She softly cleared her throat and Steve's head shot up from his hand, relaxing when he saw Nat. He gave a small smile back, greeting Peter with a nod. Tony stirred slightly, brow furrowing as the movement of Steve's hand in his hair stopped. Steve quickly continued, smiling as the body on the couch went limp again. 

"Sorry," Steve apologized softly to Peter, who had just been staring at them. "He's on meds, doctor's orders, so he's a bit less active than usual." Peter shook his head.

"That- that's okay," he replied softly, shooting the captain a smile. "I realize he doesn't sleep well usually, he might catch up on some sleep this way."

"You'd be surprised," a groggy voice entered the conversation. "I feel even  _more_ tired this way," Tony blinked open a heavy eye, smiling tiredly at the awkward teenager. "Hey, kid,"

"Hey, Mr. Stark," he gave a small wave. "How are you feeling?"

Tony laughed, which quickly escalated into a coughing fit.

"Like shit,"

"Hey," Steve warned.

Tony shrugged, winking at Peter before slowly slinging his legs off the couch and sitting up. His face was scrunched up with the effort, and he gladly accepted the helping hand Steve lend him. He made a move to put the book he'd been reading on the table nearby when Clint grabbed it and put it on the table before the brunette could. Tony shot him a look, telling the spy he could have done that himself, but Clint just smiled back with a smug "You're welcome,". Tony huffed and muttered something under his breath, but Clint knew he was actually grateful. Tony leaned back into Steve's side.

"Anyways," Tony continued once he was positioned comfortably. "They pumped me full of drugs, so I'm practically useless and thinking takes ten times as long."

"It's necessary, Tony," pleaded Steve hopelessly. They undoubtedly had this conversation before. "You'd be in _more_ pain otherwise!"

A cold look fell on the engineer's face.

"I've had worse,"

Steve sighed, not knowing what to say to that. Clint cleared his throat, standing up from the couch and laying a hand on Peter's shoulder to guide him out. Peter didn't protest, shooting one last worried glance towards his mentor before walking away with Clint, leaving the room in silence once more. Steve felt like punching a wall because he knew what happened when Tony spoke like that. He became impassive, hiding behind his masks. Steve didn't like it when Tony did that, he liked him when he was his happy, energetic self. Tony had said that thinking took ten times as long, but saying 'I've had worse' had come out immediately- indicating he was used to saying it. Breaking the silence, Nat spoke up.

"Having had worse doesn't mean this can't hurt, too," she said softly, showing a gentle side of her only close friends got to see. "It's okay if you're in pain, Tony. It doesn't make you weak,"

"No, acknowledging you're in pain,  _that's_ what makes you weak," Tony argued, eyes emotionless. Natasha knew that look. She herself used it more than she'd like to admit. And she knew exactly how _he_ got it.

"People can be wrong, you know," Tony didn't look up. "I know that's been hammered in for as long as you can remember, and I know it's hard to let it go. But Tony, it's okay not to be strong all the time. And I know that's hard, trust me, I do. Because I've had the exact same thing planted in _my_ brain,"

Tony's defenses broke. He closed his eyes, slumping against Steve and burying his head in the man's collarbone.

"I'm sorry," he muttered softly, regret evident in his voice. Steve was quick to shush him, rubbing a hand up and down his arm in a soothing manner. He subtly shot Nat a grateful look.

"It's okay," he whispered in Tony's ear, repeating it softly until Tony had recollected himself. He sat up a bit, slowly, and moved to lean into Steve's side instead. He relaxed with a sigh, eyes sliding closed. He knew he'd probably be out cold 30 minutes into the 'movie night'. But honestly, he was too tired to even be sorry for that.

* * *

"Is he going to be okay?" Peter couldn't help but ask after he and Clint had exited the room. Clint didn't hesitate to smile reassuringly.

"Of course he is," he said with so much confidence Peter was tempted to just say 'Okay!' and bounce away. But he couldn't shake the image of Tony's impassive face and emotionless eyes as he'd said  _'I've had worse'_. Peter had wanted to just run over to him and hug him until he smiled again.

"It's just- he didn't _look_ okay.." he said softly. Clint furrowed his brows and crouched down in front of him, lifting his chin until Peter's eyes went from his shoes to meet the archer's eyes.

"I know he didn't. But do keep in mind, he's tired, he's probably scared because his brain isn't functioning as fast as it usually does, and not letting on he's in pain has been something that he's been told to do for as long as he can remember." Clint explained in a sweet voice. It reminded Peter again that he had a family. _He sounds like a good father,_ Peter thought.

Peter found himself nodding, returning the smile Clint gave him.

"Good," the assassin said suddenly, getting up and ruffling Peter's hair. "Now, while they talk that out, I suggest we do the _really_ important work." 

When Peter looked at him questioningly, Clint grinned widely, pointing at some cupboards.

"The snacks,"

* * *

 

Tony slowly lifted his head when he heard footsteps, finding he'd dozed off in the time of silence in the room. Steve had gone back to playing with his curls, and Tony couldn't help but relax at the soft touch. He managed to look up to see Clint and Peter walk in with all kinds of snacks that almost made Tony retch right there, but instead, he smiled at them as they set it down.

"Are we watching a movie?" Peter asked softly, trying his best not to ask the question burning on his tongue;  _"are you okay?" -_ he knew the answer he'd get.

Tony was about to say that they were when Steve cut in.

"Actually," he started, and Tony had to suppress a groan at the smugness in the blonde's voice. "We'd like to go a bit old-fashioned tonight." He reached down, causing Tony to almost roll of the couch, and came back up with a box in his hands. He smirked at the small company in the room.

"Board games,"

This time, Tony didn't hold back his groan, dramatically slumping on the couch. Steve shot him a look, poking an elbow softly but painfully in the genius's ribs.

"I mean- Yay..." the brunette corrected himself with fake enthusiasm.

Steve nodded, satisfied.

"I would be fine with a movie," Tony mumbled.

"You wouldn't stay awake long enough for a movie," Clint shot back as he sat down on the ground, legs crossed.

"Well, that's not my fault!" Tony argued back.

"If you want to watch a movie, try not to get yourself blown up," the archer said before stuffing his mouth full with popcorn. Tony stuck out his tongue like a real adult before tapping the empty space next to him on the couch.

"Sit down, kid. Before you bounce a hole in my ceiling."

Peter hurried over to flop down on the couch, taking a bowl with snacks on his way there. He offered Tony some, who was quick to refuse.

"I think I'll actually puke just by smelling it,"

Peter shrugged and started eating his snacks.

"Alright," Steve started, opening the box and revealing multiple old-fashioned games. They looked pretty worn out, so Tony guessed they were something Bucky and Steve were busy with when they weren't training. He took out a pile of old cards and put the box back on the ground. "This is a version of Never Have I Ever, only Buck and I changed it up a bit. If you have never done the thing that's mentioned, you're in the clear.  _But,_ " he said suddenly, making Tony jump and grumble something no one could hear. "If you  _have,_ you either have to do it again, of, in case that's not possible, do the dare someone gives you."

"And who decides that?" Peter asked, getting excited. He wasn't really used to video games anyway- they didn't have the money for that.

"The person who flipped the card-" he held up the stack of cards- "with a category to choose from. Of course, they can first consult with the rest before making their decision." 

Everyone slowly nodded, indicating they understood the purpose of the game. Everyone except Tony, that is.

"Tony, do you understand the game?" Steve asked kindly once he noticed. He was surprised when Tony bit his lip, fiddling with his hands as if he was...  _nervous_.

 _Seriously,_ Steve thought.  _This man faces crowds and reporters without blinking, and_ now _he's nervous?_

But he said none of that out loud, smiling instead as he grabbed the mechanic's hands to stop them from fiddling.

"What is it?" He asked softly. The silence that followed made Steve doubt he would get a reply, but Tony eventually took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak. The response that came out, however, was too soft and too jumbled together for even Steve's enhanced hearing to understand. "What?" He couldn't help but blurt out. Tony rolled his eyes but spoke a bit louder when he tried again.

"I don't- What's Never Have I Ever...?"

The shocked silence that followed was deafening.

"You don't know Never Have I Ever? Dude, you missed out!" Clint broke the silence. His words earned him a slap up the head from Natasha, who had somehow reached him.

"Well, I'm sorry, Barton. But I was a 14-year-old in college, I didn't exactly have many friends."

That shut the archer up. Nat shook her head and kindly turned her gaze to Tony to explain the game.

"Never Have I Ever is actually quite self-explanatory. Someone names a situation, for example: 'never have I ever driven drunk', or something like that. The rest of the participants say if they have or haven't. That's it, really. Not that hard,"

Tony nodded, finally understanding the game. He exhaled and relaxed a bit. Steve threaded his fingers through the engineer's hair once more before leaning forward to grab the stack of cards. He took them out of the box and put them in a neat pile on the table.

"Alright, I suggest the youngest begins?" He states, looking over to Peter who nods in response, clapping in his hands like the excited kid he is. He immediately grabbed a card from the pile and flipped it. He snickered before reading it out loud.

"School," He looked around, eyes landing on Steve. "Cap," Steve looked up, faking nervousness as he pretended to wipe his sweaty palms on his jeans, earning a slap on his arm from Tony.

"Okay, um... Never have I ever skipped class," Peter asked the Captain with a wide grin on his face.

To everyone's surprise, Steve flushed as red as Tony's suit, even though he quickly tried to hide it by ducking his head. Tony leaned away from him with a hand on his chest, a shocked grin on his face and a million blackmail plans already forming.

"Excuse me?" He asked, unable to keep the grin out of his voice. "Did America's golden boy do something illegal?"

"No, no!" Steve interrupted before the genius could continue. "It really wasn't that bad..."

"Explain," even Natasha looked amused.

"Well," Steve sighed. "Someone was being bullied just behind the school and I decided to intervene, but as you all know I really didn't have any advantages in that fight due to my hight and, well, everything, really. So I missed class..."

Tony had already sagged back, the grin wiped from his lips.

"Of course, the reason had to be noble," he muttered. _Goodbye, blackmail..._

"Alright, since Steve can't really do it again, I suggest we pick a dare for him to complete?" Clint asked the group. Everyone looked at Peter, who was already looking at them with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

 

"You have to tell us about your most embarrassing moment from your childhood,"

Steve groaned, and Peter beamed when Tony winked at him with his signature smirk.

"Well, Cap," the genius said, maybe a bit too smugly. "Let's hear it then,"

Steve sighed but caved.

"Alright, um," he thought for a second. He seemed to have thought of something as the tips of his ears turned pink and he scratched his neck (which Tony didn't find attractive. At all). "I guess my most embarrassing moment must have been when I told my crush I liked him,"

"How can  _that_ be the most embarrassing moment of your childhood?" Clint scoffed.

"He was  _straight_..."

Tony snorted.

"Alright next, please," Steve practically begged. Nat gestured to the deck of cards.

"All yours, captain,"

"Wait, hold up," Peter stopped him. "Is no one going to acknowledge the fact that _Captain America_ is  _gay_?"

"I am not gay!" Steve exclaimed defensively.

"Kid, he's not gay!" Tony exclaimed, copying his captain's tone. "He just likes boys, that doesn't mean he's- wait a minute!" He turned around to Steve, gasping dramatically. "You're  _gay_?!"

Steve gave a long sigh, rubbing his forehead. 

"Look, I'm not gay, alright? I'm Bi. That's something different. Right?"

"Alright just grab a card, Cap," Nat cut in.

Cap drew a card, sports, for Clint. Clint drew one for Tony about animals ("Never have I ever kicked an animal" "Clint, no.") and Tony had one for Nat, who, on her turn had one for Peter.

About thirty minutes into the game Peter drew the 'love' card. Tony groaned.

"I wanted that one..." he whined.

"Why?" Peter asked.

"So I could grill you out on that 'secret crush' of yours."

"Ooh," Clint snickered. "Protective Dad Mode activated,"

Tony chucked one of Peter's snacks at his head, which the archer, sadly, dodged.

"Shut up, Barton."

"Alright, Pete. Who's the card for?" Nat interrupted before a food fight could get going.

"Steve," Peter answered immediately. "Cap, never have I ever kissed a boy,"

To Peter's surprise, Steve smirked. For some reason, Tony chuckled too. Cap raised his hands in surrender.

"Guilty as charged,"

Peter's mouth fell open.

"Wa- who?" he stammered, not really knowing anything else to say. Tony chose that moment to choke.

"Jeez, you alright, Tones?" Steve laughed, helpfully patting the coughing genius on the back.

"No," he managed to croak out.

"Well, Steve," Clint chimed in happily once Tony had calmed down again. "Seems to me you have to do it again, right?"

"Oh, well that's not a problem,"

And with those words, Steve kissed Tony.

Tony kissed back.

Peter's mouth fell open, Clint laughed, and Nat just seemed to approve.

Peter was confusion.

The kiss lasted way longer than necessary. When they finally pulled back, both men were grinning as their foreheads rested together.

"Nice," Tony said, panting slightly. "Bold, but nice,"

"Well, we were never ones for subtle," Steve replied casually.

"Good point,"

"Wha- wu- you- he- and you- and- and then- what?" A small voice peeped in.

Tony turned around to face Peter, a casual smirk on his face and an eyebrow raised.

"You want to say something, bud?"

_Oh, the asshole._

"What... just happened,"

Tony sucked in a breath, wrapping an arm around Steve's waist as the soldier pulled him closer to his side.

"We were  _gonna_ tell you," he started, his right hand gesturing in the air. "...But we weren't." He finished eventually.

Peter blinked.

Steve kissed the top of Tony's head.

"Smooth, hun," he laughed in his hair.

"Well, what can I say?" Tony turned to him once again, a casual but genuine smile only reserved for Steve on his lips. He lowered his voice to a deep whisper as he leaned closer. "I'm not really one for subtle,"

Steve's deep chuckled vibrated through Tony's body and they caught each other's lips in another kiss.

"Why is this so cute?" Peter squeaked to the archer close to him as they watched the pair. Clint groaned.

"I know, right? It's just not fair..."

The kiss ended but the couple didn't break apart, Tony nuzzling his face in the blonde's neck as the soldier cuddled him close. Peter felt a smile forming on his lips as he watched how relaxed his mentor was in Steve's arms. He looked happy. And a happy Tony was a happy Peter.

"He may be Bi," Tony's voice sounded from where it was hidden in Steve's neck, his words slightly slurred as sleep threatened to take over. "But I'm definitely gay."

Steve's vibrating chuckle and warm body lulled Tony into a much-needed sleep, the feeling of safety and love surrounding him as pleasant darkness overtook him. But not before he could mutter out soft and heavy words to his boyfriend.

"Luf you, Steve."

Steve smiled down at his sleeping beauty in his arms, a warm feeling in his chest. He placed a tender kiss in the engineer's curls, inhaling his sweet scent.

"I love you too, Tony."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I noted at the beginning of this chapter, I'm going to be writing a lot more here. If you have any ideas I can (try to) write, make sure to tell me! 
> 
> Lots of love to all of you, make sure to comment what you think of this chapter. It didn't quite turn out the way I planned, but oh well.
> 
> Have a great day and a happy new year!!


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